


Spots Drawn in Marker

by LadyAnput



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Bashing, Alya Césaire Bashing, F/M, False Identity, Heartbreak, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, false ladybug au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-02-23 10:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAnput/pseuds/LadyAnput
Summary: A new girl arrives in class and says something that causes Marinette to realize a few things.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 165
Kudos: 1532
Collections: Miraculous Stories, fics that were so good i didn't finish my homework





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette sighed ever so softly as she tapped her pencil against her sketchbook. Today was not seeming to be an inspirational day and she had a portfolio to finish by the end of the month. 

"And I just couldn't believe that Jagged's concert was almost cancelled. But he called me and I filled him with such inspiration and determination that he just couldn't help but rock out." Lila spoke in an airy, wistful tone that Marinette had no doubt she practiced to get just right. "He said I could even get VIP passes to his next show, thanks to what I did, as many as I want."

Well there goes any and all hope for any inspiration this morning. Lila just leeched any creativity out of any room she's in.

"Do you think I could get one?" Alya piped up, beaming over at Lila as she recorded the entire conversation. "I mean, since we're besties, I'd love an interview with Jagged. Lately he's been very tight lipped about a lot of things."

"Of course, Alya, anything for my second best friend!" Lila hugged the girl, beaming brightly as Alya began posting the recording on her blog.

Marinette merely rolled her eyes and settled back in her seat in the back of the class, going back to sketching her ideas for the morning. A beautiful scarf, maybe a nice warm sweater… Marinette was quickly lost in a world of design, a world she could have control of. It was something she had often turned to after Lila had caused her life to go spiralling into a pit where her friends brushed off her concerns for the lies of a shiny new toy.

Marinette was so caught up in her sketching, that she didn't notice when Miss Bustier came in, guiding along a girl who shared a wink with Lila. If only she had noticed.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Rébecca, she just transferred to our school today. I hope you will all give her a warm welcome." Bustier beamed at her class as many of her students mumbled clumsy, half-hearted hellos.

Marinette glanced up from her sketchbook and took a good, long look at the new girl. She was tall, slim, with dark bluish-black hair that reached her shoulders. Marinette could tell by looking at them that her clothes were Gabriel brand, the skinny jeans clinging to her long, long legs like a second skin, the leopard print top accentuating any curves the girl may have had. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Lila has told me so much about you all!" Rébecca beamed at everyone, and that instantly made Marinette narrow her eyes a fraction, while Rébecca strode over to where Lila and Adrien sat, sending a flirty little smile to the model. "And I heard you're quite the helpful one, of course. I'm so glad you volunteered to show me around today."

Oh, that was it. Lila brought along a croney to try and manipulate Adrien some more, maybe help granduerize her stories. Well, this was certainly becoming a fun class. Marinette pressed her lips into a thin line as Rébecca sat down next to Adrien, causing the boy to be uncomfortably sandwiched between the two girls. It made Marinette's blood boil at how the two girls kept pawing at the model, who clearly wanted to get away, while Alya and the others just cooed and urged it on.

Honestly, this entire class has gone crazy.

Marinette made a move to go down there and get them to stop, but Adrien had looked back at her and given her a look that pleaded that she didn't. That's what he wanted, for her to sit down, shut up, and not cause trouble. It took everything in Marinette not to snap her pencil as Miss Bustier began to lesson.

…

Adrien didn't quite know how to feel about this new girl hanging off of his arm, seeming overly cuddly with him, fluttering her lashes and trying to get most of his attention.

"How exactly do you two know each other?" Alya had asked when she and Nino sat down with the duo and Lila. Lila had only perked up, and got a somewhat secretive smile on her face, while Rébecca let out a soft giggle.

“All I can say is, Alya, that Rébecca is my best friend.” Lila boasted, giving Alya an overly obvious wink. Alya stared at Lila, as if slowly digesting her words before her eyes lit up and her hand shot for her phone.

“You’re serious?!” Alya began to open an app on her phone, but Rébecca reached out a hand to stop her, then gave Adrien a pleading look.

“Adrien, I’m very parched. Do you think you could grab me a soda, please? I would greatly appreciate it.” She slid a hand slowly along his arm, giving him a smile then when their eyes met. 

Adrien opened his mouth, but then nodded and made his way to the lunch line, which had grown fairly sizable as lunch was halfway over.

“You’re Ladybug?!” Alya beamed as she reached out and took Rébecca’s hand, an eager gleam in her eyes. “I knew Marinette was wrong about everything! Can I see the earrings?”

Rébecca nodded and pulled aside her hair from her ear, showing off the black spotted red earring, making Alya practically squeal with delight. 

“I just want to say that I’m so honoured that you chose me to be Rena Rouge.” Alya took Rébecca’s hand, so awestruck that she missed the surprised look Lila and Rébecca exchanged. 

“Well it was Lila that gave me the glowing recommendation.” Rébecca grinned as Alya began practically bursting with excitement as she began dumping question after question on Rébecca, who answered every one with ease, puffing out her chest with pride. Nino even seemed to get into it, thanking her profusely for allowing him to become Carapace, thankful he was able to protect the people of Paris.

All the while Marinette was seated on the other side of the cafeteria with Rose and Ivan, trying her hardest to design something new for Kitty Section’s concert in a month, completely unaware of the imposter across the room. She was merely smiling as she discussed with Rose the possibility of adding more sparkles to the outfits, while Ivan was increasingly pleading for them not to.

“Oh come on, they won’t be that bad.” Marinette smirked up at her distressed classmate, playfully sticking out her tongue. “Maybe I’ll even make the costumes neon orange.”

“Don’t you dare..” Ivan growled softly, but any playful banter was cut short by an explosion nearby that shook the school. Many students let out surprised screams as trees seemed to burst from the floor out of nowhere. 

“Hello Paris, I am Dryad, prepare to start tossing away those construction sites you use as excuses to cut down my precious trees!” A voice called out, echoing across the area, and it was then a panic began. Students cried out and began running in various directions, as the branches stretched from the trees and began snatching up various people. 

Adrien ducked off into an alcove, and thinking the coast was clear, transformed and took off, completely unaware of Rébecca watching from around the corner, a stunned look on her face.

…

As soon as school was over, Marinette stretched and let out a soft groan. Her body felt so stiff from that akuma battle earlier, Dryad had been an eco-activist who had been angry that her favourite park had been dozed over to make room for a spa, so she had been an easy target for Hawkmoth.

“Mari, I have to tell you something.” Alya ran up beside her and grabbed her arm, stopping her friend in her tracks. Marinette gave her a smile, though silently wished she were heading home right now for a nap. She just felt so drained after the day, and she wanted to relax with a nice cup of hot cocoa and some cookies with Tikki. 

“Oh, did you get a new scoop?” Marinette’s smile widened when she saw the eager look in Alya’s eyes, the slight bounce in her step. She knew right away that the young reporter had quite the story if she was stopping Marinette right outside of school. 

“I sure did, and it’s all thanks to Lila.” Alya grinned, but it quickly dimmed when the smile fell from Marinette’s face. She then huffed and crossed her arms, cocking a hip. “Marinette, this jealous streak of yours is getting annoying.”

“I’m not jealous, Alya, I’m just tired of you believing her lies, which are so obvious.” Marinette crossed her arms, her own annoyed expression matching Alya’s. 

“God, I don’t know why I even try with you. You’ll see soon enough what a fool you’ve been, never giving Lila a single chance. When you see my interview tomorrow, you’ll be begging Lila for forgiveness.” Alya said this in the most confident tone she could ever have spoken, making Marinette’s frown then press into firm line. 

“Alya-” Marinette’s words died as soon as Alya held up a hand and began storming away. The young girl felt a heavy weight in her heart as she watched her best friend walk away. Why did it feel like she was about to walk away from their friendship..?

Marinette shook her head. No, she wouldn't let it come to that! Whatever stunt Lila was trying to pull, it wasn't going to work, Mari refused to back down and let her win, because if Lila won, she'd oh make things worse. She's hurt Marinette's friends, keep using them like she had. And she might even get her hands on Adri-

Adrien. Oh no, that new girl was trying to sink her claws into Adrien too, wasn't she? It just hurt to think about how those two would try and manipulate Adrien. But he wouldn't fall for it right? He knew Lila was a liar, he wouldn't fall for any tricks..

Marinette made her way home, tightly gripping the straps of her backpack, an uneasy feeling rolling in her stomach.

…

Adrien frowned as he was dragged off by Rébecca, who was clutching his arm like a vice.

"Rébecca, what's this about? I have a modeling gig in a few hours, so I can't stay very long.." He tried to point out, stumbling slightly when she abruptly stopped and turned to him, realizing the two of them were in an empty classroom. "Rébecca, is something wrong?"

".. I can't believe it. My Kitty has been before me this whole time.." Rébecca blushed as she slid her hand down his arm, gripping his hand lightly. "I've been so blind."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Adrien blinked in surprise as the girl set her other hand on his chest.

"Don't you recognize me, Chat? Don't you recognize your Ladybug?" She whispered, biting her lower lip. "I guess without the mask, I'm not so special anymore.."

Adrien felt his breath hitch at her words, his mind racing. No, she couldn't be.. Could she?

"I accidentally saw you detransform when I was trying to sneak back into school after our fight with Dryad. I'm sorry, but I thought since I knew, it was only fair to tell you.." She whispered, looking away as if in shame. Rébecca was internally thankful that Lila told her everything she needed to know about Adrien and the class, and was even more grateful she had given into Lila's silly little plan to try and trick the class more. Being Ladybug could be fun, afterall, she always wanted to be famous.

"What, no! M- my Lady, that's not true!" Adrien blurted out the words before he could stop himself, alarmed at the sight of the tears beginning to stream down her face.

"The.. the reason I've been rejecting you is because I've been in love with you, Adrien. And when I found out that you and Chat Noir were the same person, I just couldn't believe it, but it made so much sense" Rébecca leaned closer, their bodies pressing lightly together. "You're right, kitty, we are meant for each other, I was just simply blind to it.. Do you think I could get a second chance, please? I love you, Adrien."

Adrien was silent for the longest time, his mind trying to process all of this. This was Ladybug..? His heart began to pound as she poured her heart out to him, his hopes skyrocketing. She loved him, she really loved him! It felt like his dreams were coming true! Grinning, Adrien leaned close, their foreheads pressing lightly together as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, eyeing her earring before chuckling.

"I love you too, my Lady. We're soulmates, something silly as a misunderstanding could never tear us apart." He murmured, and both of them leaned closer and shared a soft kiss, Rébecca practically preening as she ensnared the gullible model.

…

Marinette huffed softly as she stared at her essay. School had to be built to torture people, there was no way these institutes built up every person of every walk of life, because these essays and term papers were a pain in the butt.

"Tikki, I think my eyes are going to explode.." She groaned as she closed her eyes and rubbed them, feeling the beginnings of a migraine beginning to form.

"It's probably because you stayed up all night." Tikki scolded her, the alarm clock next to Marinette suddenly going off, making the girl jump in her seat.

"Oh no, I'm going to be a total zombie in school today.." Marinette groaned as she put her face in her hands. She hadn't even realized she had stayed up so late, but she had really wanted to finish this dark essay before it became a bigger problem than it was worth. She should have been more mindful.

It was then that her phone beeped. When she looked at the notification, she realized Alya had published that interview she had mentioned yesterday.

"Well, since I'm up on time, I can watch it while I get ready." Marinette shrugged and tapped on the video to play it, and began getting dressed.

Alya was seated in her room, beaming proudly as she sat between Lila and Rébecca.

"Hey guys, it's Alya your lovable Ladyblogger here. I'm here to give you guys the scoop of the century! Over the past year, you've all come to know my amazing best friend, Lila, and her amazing exploits!" Alya grinned as she wrapped an arm around Lila, giving her a quick side up before sitting up again. "Well, Lila has managed to convince someone very special to give me an interview at long last, without her mask."

Marinette watched as she brushed her teeth, raising a brow as she took in Alya's words.

"Everyone, I'd love you to meet our very own Ladybug, finally showing her face, right here, on my blog!" Alya grinned like a cat who had cream.

"I have to say, it's an honour to finally reveal myself to all of you, especially on one of the most important blogs ever. Without you, Alya, I think I'd be lost. You always do the best detective work, and give everyone the greatest stories." Rébecca praised, carefully stroking Alya's ego. "Lila finally convinced me to show myself to the world. You're right, Alya, the world has the right to know.'

Marinette felt the toothbrush drop from her mouth as she stared at her phone screen, the blood beginning to pound through her veins.

"Tikki.." She croaked out after she spit her toothpaste into the sink, her body beginning to tremble. "Oh God, Tikki, she's lying.. She's- she's claiming to be me!"

"Marinette, you need to calm down!" Tikki flew in front of her Chosen's face, panic making her gasp as she saw the tears beginning to well up in Marinette's eyes.

"Why would Alya do that?! I've told her time and time again that I want to keep my identity a secret! It's important to me, it keeps everyone I love out of danger, why would she do this?! Now Rébecca's family could be in danger!" Marinette pulled at her pigtails as her mind began to race.

"Marinette, please, calm down! Maybe you can tell Alya these things at school today! I'm sure she'll listen if you calmly explain these things to you, I'm sure she'll fix it." 

".." Marinette sniffled and wiped away the tears. "You're right, Tikki. Alya has to at least think this is strange, it would be out of character for Ladybug to suddenly out herself like that.."

…

But when Marinette got to school and tried to talk to Alya, the girl merely cut her off and gave her a glare.

"I told you that you'd regret it, Marinette. I told you to try, and look at how things are now, even Ladybug herself thinks you're being unreasonable!" Alya snapped, motioning to where Rébecca sat with Lila, the class all overjoyed to have their wonderful hero Ladybug in that very room! The sight made Marinette feel ill.

"But Alya, Ladybug is always saying how she wanted to keep her identity a secret. Why would she suddenly start exposing herself, while Hawkmoth and Mayura are still at large?" Marinette held out her hands, trying to get Alya to see some kind of reason.

"You know what? I can't believe you're being this selfish right now. Honestly, this is the biggest story I've ever released and you're trying to ruin it!" Alya threw her hands up, catching the attention of a few of their classmates.

"Alya, we're best friends! Please, I just-" Marinette began,but was cut off again by Alya jabbing Marinette in the chest with a finger.

"Exactly, which is why best friends call each other out when they're being unreasonable,when they're making a complete fool of themselves! Look at you, you aren't even looking at the facts, Marinette, this jealous vendetta you have us ridiculous!" Alya snapped, then turned on her heel and stormed away. Marinette was left standing by her desk, her stomach coiling into a nervous ball.

Adrien entered the class not long after, a wide smile on his face. Before he could say anything, he caught Rébecca's eye. The girl stopped talking and abruptly got to her feet and rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as the two shared a passionate kiss.

Marinette felt her heart fall to the floor and shatter.

"Whoa, dude, didn't you two just meet yesterday?" Nino looked confused, as did the rest of the class. Inside, Lila was seething with rage, but she maintained a small smile.

"It may seem like that, but.. We've known each other for so much longer. I've been in love with Ladybug ever since I first met her. And it turns out, she felt the same way." Adrien beamed, lovingly kissing Rébecca's cheek.

Marinette began running before she realized she was doing it. She ran passed Alya, who gave her a look that screamed 'you took too long to confess, this is what you get', a confused Adrien, and a grinning Rébecca. She ignored the shouts for her to come back as she ran and ran, the tears streaming from her eyes.

She didn't have the proof, because the last time she had outed a lie as Ladybug, it had had disastrous consequences. And nobody believes her! No one saw the truth!

Marinette ran from the school and kept running, her lungs soon burning, her muscles soon aching, before she found herself into one of the small parks, which was completely deserted.

Marinette fell to her knees beside one of the fountains, burying her head in her arms as she rested against the basin, crying so hard, she soon passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

When Marinette didn't arrive home that night, her parents began to worry. They called all of her friends that they could, but each one explained that they hadn't seen her since that morning, they had assumed she had run home and had just stayed there. This is when her parents began to panic. Meanwhile her classmates were concerned. Surely Marinette hadn't run away just because Adrien was dating someone else, now could she?

Alya pressed her lips together as she pondered this, with Lila sitting on her bed, Rébecca out on a date with Adrien.

"I'm so sorry that she's putting you through this, Alya." Lila spoke up as she watched the journalist fretting over her phone. She reached out and set her hand over Alya's. "I mean, this is absolutely terrible. From what you've told me, her attraction to Adrien is almost.. Unhinged. You don't think she'd try to do anything risky to get his attention, would you?"

"What, no! Marinette wouldn't do that. She can be a bit sporadic, but she wouldn't just run away or something, she's not that dramatic." Alya shook her head, her mouth set in a stubborn line.

"But Alya, we have both seen how she's been acting since I got to Paris. How she thought I was trying to steal Adrien away, she keeps on insisting I'm lying too, even when you and I know who Ladybug is! She doesn't appreciate you enough, Alya, she just wants the attention, and you don't deserve this. She's putting everyone through all of this stress and worry because the boy she deems she's 'in love with' loves someone he knows a lot better." 

"Yeah, it was pretty cool that Ladybug and Adrien went on secret dates a lot. So romantic, I bet, I can't believe I never knew about it." Alya gave a strained smile as Lila moved forward and hugged her, trying to calm her stressed friend.

"Why do you think he never went after Marinette? He was already in love." Lila pulled back, a bright smile on her face, though inside, she still felt bitter. Adrien was supposed to be hers, but Rébecca had swooped in and stolen him from under her nose. She had confronted the girl, but Rébecca had merely rolled her eyes and went back to applying her lipstick.

"Oh puh-lease, Lila, we both know you're only interested in the fame and money. I'm sure we can snag you a cuter guy, from a richer family, okay? So don't crawl up my ass about this, let's just focus on fooling Paris and destroying this Marinette girl, okay?" Rébecca had said, all the while primping for her date with Adrien.

Lila hated to admit it, but Rébecca had a point. She could always find a new target, a cuter one too, maybe with an actual spine, she just had to play her cards right with her best friend, 'Ladybug'.

"And I kept trying to push the two of them together, like an idiot. I should have seen it, Lila, how could I have been so blind to the truth?" Alya briefly closed her eyes, mentally scolding herself. "But yeah, if Marinette wants to overreact and cause everyone some trouble, that's on her. I'm not wasting my time on that."

"You always know what to do, Alya. Now, how about we watch a movie to distract ourselves from this little soap opera Marinette dreamed up. I knew the director, we met while I was still living in Italy. He wanted me to star in it, but I just couldn't because of my charity work." Lila went on as they both sat down on the bed and turned on Netflix.

Alya grinned and listened to her friend's amazing story. This was true friendship right here, friends who told each other everything and helped them see the faults in others before they could hurt them. So Alya turned her gaze towards the screen, and shoved Marinette's drama from her mind.

\---

Marinette felt a hand land roughly on her shoulder, causing her eyes to snap open.

It was nighttime, the park only lit by the street lamps located around it, giving everything eerie shadows.

"Marinette! Oh thank God, you're alright, everyone has been looking for you! I was afraid you were akumatized!" Luka knelt next to her, the expression of relief on his face making Marinette's heart clench. "What happened?! Are you hurt?"

"Luka.. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry everyone.." Marinette felt the guilt make her chest ache. She hadn't meant to pass out, she really hadn't. But Adrien… She had lost Adrien to Lila and Rébecca, people he should know are lying! Then why, why was he dating Rébecca..? Was it because she says she's Ladybug? The thought made her stomach feel as if it were full of ice.

"You're safe, that's all that matters. Let's get you home, your parents are scared." Luka helped Marinette stand, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulder. His heart broke when he saw her eyes were red rimmed and swollen from crying. Even her song sounded out of tune, in mourning. Juleka had told him that the boy Marinette had a crush on was dating someone else. While it hurt to think of her wanting to be with someone else, he was more upset with the guy. Whoever this asshole was must have been blind not to go for someone like Marinette. She had her faults, yes, but she was an amazing person, so kind and eager to help…

It didn't take them long before they had Marinette home. Her parents rushed forward and embraced her, before thanking Luka for finding her. Luka gave Marinette a hug before he left, wishing with all of his heart he could wipe away that look of heartbreak and offer his own heart to heal those wounds. But she wasn't ready for anything like that, no, she had to heal those wounds. And as Luka left the bakery and began walking home, he knew he'd wait a hundred years, if that's how long it took. Marinette was worth it.

Marinette, meanwhile, sat in bed after having explained everything to her parents, even the stuff with Lila. They had been furious, of course, at the school and at her classmates, but Marinette quickly stopped them from calling the school board.

"I just want to get this all over with. I've tried telling them that she's lying, but they refused to listen. It's fine, they're still my friends, they aren't horrible people.. They just want some pretty stories, and if they get hurt, I tried, I really did. But I'm not responsible for them, I did my part in warning them, pointing out the facts.. Even Adrien, he…" Marinette trailed off, and then put her head in her hands and once again began to cry. Her parents embraced her, before she went up to bed, curling up and closing her eyes. She felt Tikki softly kiss her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette.. But you'll get through it, I know you will. You're my amazing Ladybug, you can do anything." Tikki whispered. Marinette didn't reply, simply falling asleep.

\---

The next day, everyone stared at Marinette when she entered the class. But she held her chin up and smiled, cheerfully greeting everyone before she went to her seat and sat down. As she was setting up her stuff, Alya stormed up and slammed a hand on Marinette's desk.

"What was with that stunt you pulled yesterday? Skipping class and refusing to go home because of a boy?" She snapped, and Marinette stared up at her friend, refusing to let herself be shaken.

"Stunt? Alya, I'm sorry if I worried you, I didn't mean-" Marinette began, but Alya held up a hand right in her face to stop her.

"No, you keep quiet and listen, because this has gotten out of hand. Your parents were terrified when they called me last night, thinking you'd been kidnapped or gotten hurt. You refused to answer anyone's calls or texts, and all because Adrien isn't the least bit interested in you. I know it hurts, but you need to start sucking it up fast. He doesn't like you, Marinette, and he never will. You need to move on, because your crush has gotten borderline creepy for a while now, and it's not healthy." Alya crossed her arms, scowling now.

"Rébecca told me you remind her of a stalker from a few years ago." Lila spoke up as she entered the classroom, a look of concern on her face, though Marinette easily saw the look of glee in her eyes. "I mean, Rébecca had to leave in the middle of her date with Adrien just to look for you. Being Ladybug and fighting those akuma are enough as it is, but to be forced into your love life.. Marinette, I'm concerned."

"B- but.." Marinette began, but the words died in her throat when Adrien gave her a disappointed look. The look made her heart ache and she fought back tears.

"I guess the schedule is rather creepy. So are the presents she has made.." Alya muttered without fully realizing, as she tapped her lower lip.

"Wait, schedule?" Rébecca's brows shot up as she gave Marinette a terrified look, her grip on Adrien's arm tightening. "Marinette, don't tell me that you have Adrien's schedule memorized!"

The look Adrien gave Marinette, the one of surprise and a bit of fear, that made Marinette's stomach churn and bile burn in her throat. She couldn't speak, too afraid that if she did, she would vomit. So she shot Alya a seething glare, making her friend flinch as she stood and promptly left the room.

She didn't run, she held her head high, but the look Adrien was giving her.. As if she were someone completely different.. It made her want to collapse to the floor and cry. But she made it to the bathroom. Once she was in a stall, she finally let herself cry, though it wasn't as violent as yesterday.

"It's all over, Tikki.." Marinette whimpered as the Kwami flew from her purse, hovering before her face. "I can't go back there, I just can't! Those can't be my friends, they have to be imposters. Alya wouldn't.. And no one spoke up.."

The sentences became more and more broken as she wept into her hands. Tikki felt horrible as she watched the girl fall apart before her very eyes, though not as much as yesterday.

The bell rang and Marinette didn't return to class. She went to the nurse and the woman knew well enough to see the misery and heartbreak on the girl's face. Always having a soft spot for young love, the nurse excused her to go home for the day.

And when she got home, her parents didn't question her. They merely hugged their daughter and offered their love and support. Marinette hugged them back, grateful to have them in her life.

She went up to her room and laid down on her bed.

"I'll wake you up if there's an akuma." Tikki spoke up, gently nuzzling Marinette's cheek. Marinette gave her a small smile, and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

…

Marinette awoke to the sound of a guitar. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Luka sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, his back to her, playing his guitar.

"Luka?" Marinette sat up and slid out of bed, watching as Luka glanced back at her, his eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit. Your parents let me up, and when I saw you sleeping I was going to leave, but.. Your song sounded so distressed." Luka admitted, finding himself blushing the more she stared at him. "And I thought maybe some music could help. I'm sorry if this is weird, I can go.."

"No, please, stay. Can.. can you play some more?" Marinette asked hesitantly, taking a seat in the chair beside him. Luka offered her a smile and then began playing again. Marinette closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. There was something about Luka's music that seemed to touch her very soul. All of the worries and pain of the day washed away, and all she thought about was the good things. 

"I'm sorry that you're going through so many things right now." Luka murmured once he had finished his song. Marinette glanced over at him, and could see the genuine look of concern in his eyes. "Adrien is a fool."

"Yeah.." Marinette glanced up at her wall covered in pictures of Adrien, of her classmates.. A walk dedicated to those she loved. "Luka, can you hand me that trash bin?"

Luka was about to ask what she was doing as he handed her the bin, but went quiet when she unpinned a picture of Adrien from the board and tossed it into the trash. Luka watched in stunned silence as she took down every single picture of Adrien, then moved on to some pictures of her classmates.

Marinette's hands shook as she threw out picture after picture, tears burning her eyes. She wanted to forgive them, to forgive everyone. They were her friends, her schoolmates, they had all done so much for each other.

But then why hadn't anyone spoken up in her defense? Why had they all just sat there as Rébecca and Lila had accused her of being a stalker? Alya had just given them more fuel to burn her with…

Marinette stared down at the picture of her and Alya, then tore it clean in half. She reached to toss the destroyed picture in the trash, then froze. She opened a drawer in her desk and placed the torn picture inside, shutting it with a soft thud.

Marinette then leaned her head against her now barren wall, her eyes squeezing shut.

Her love for Adrien had been unhealthy, she realized. She had been obsessive, she had been rash. She should have taken her time in getting to know him before she tried love. She could barely say a single word around him without tripping over it. It hadn't been healthy, she hadn't been healthy, she had claimed she had been in love, but had she really been? Or was it just the excitement of a first crush, of a kind boy who reminded her of those princes from the fairytales? She'd never know, but she realized now that while she hadn't been a stalker, it hadn't been a healthy thought process towards Adrien.

"Are you alright?" 

Marinette turned her gaze to Luka, who stayed seated in his chair, watching her. She felt her cheeks redden ever so slightly as she gazed into his eyes. Those eyes that were always so open and honest with her. This was a guy that would drop everything just for her…

“How could I have been so blind..?” She shook her head in disbelief, smiling to herself as the realization hit her, about how blind one could be to the treasure that one had in their possession when they were so focused on something better. “Luka, I really have been blind, haven’t I?”

"Marinette..?" Luka stood, his panic spiking drastically once he saw the tears in her eyes. When he reached out for her, cupping her face into his hands, he stared into her watering eyes.

"I'm so stupid. I've always been so stupid." Marinette hugged him then, and Luka let her cry. "I was blind, I'm always blind to what's right in front of me."

She sniffled.

"And I was blind to the most amazing guy ever being in love with me. I was so blinded by stupid Adrien Agreste."

Luka stared down at Marinette, a girl who had cried so much in so little time. He was in love with her, yes, but he wasn't owed her love in return. He didn't care that she had been in love with Adrien, as long as Adrien treated her right. But Luka wasn't happy now, because Adrien was the cause of her tears. 

He reached out and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Her face felt so perfect in his hands, like a piece of a puzzle that clicked perfectly into place after so long searching for it.

"Is it too late? I- I don't mean right this second, I'm not going to disrespect you like that, jumping from Adrien to you in an instant. But, I mean, if I do eventually want to try.. Something with you, do I still have a chance?"

Luka smiled. Funny how he had just thinking about this very situation yesterday. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I would wait a hundred years for you, Marinette. You're worth every second." He whispered softly against her skin. Marinette wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, trying her hardest not to break down into tears once again.

…

“You’re staring again, kitten.” Rébecca giggled as she glanced up from her plate, to find Adrien’s impossibly green eyes on her once again. She had managed to convince him to take her to one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris and she was loving every second of it. He was just so kins and gullible, it was almost laughable. “Astonished by my beauty?”

“You’re the prettiest girl in France, Bugaboo.” Adrien grinne, reaching over the table to take her hand in his. Finally, he was with the girl of his dreams, after so long of dreaming and wishing, he was finally with his lovely Ladybug. With a wink, Adrien pulled out a small jewelry box from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “A priceless gem for the most priceless girl in my life.”

Rébecca grinned as she opened the jewelry box and saw the glittering ruby ring inside. This had to be the third expensive gift that he had gotten her in such a short time and she was loving every moment of it. Everyone knew who she was thanks to Alya and her stupid blog, and all thanks to Adrien Agreste. 

“Pardon me, aren’t you Ladybug?” Well, speaking of everyone knowing who she was… Rébecca tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled up at the man who had approached their table, looking rather eager. When their gazes met, the man beamed and held out a hand. “I am Reginald Desjardin, owner of this fine dining establishment. It is such an honour to have our very own heroine with us tonight. Please, I must insist that I cover the price of your dinner tonight. Just enjoy yourselves and relax. I am sure you are always so busy trying to hunt down Hawkmoth.”

And for the next few weeks it went along that way. Rébecca went everywhere with Adrien, having him shower her in gifts, which was easy to get as long as she kissed him often and played the role of his soulmate Ladybug. She and Lila went around Paris, basking in the fame of being the duo of Ladybug and her best friend. All the while, Marinette grew more distant, and no longer called Lila out on her lies. She merely would let things take their course. If her friends didn’t want to be saved, she was done trying.

And things would finally come to a head at the fluttering of an akuma’s wings, as it headed towards its latest victim.


	3. Chapter 3

Rébecca blinked rapidly to hold back the tears after she placed in the blue contact. They stung like a son of a bitch, but it was a small price to pay for fame.

"Beccy, what are you doing?" Her little brother's sudden question caused her to poke herself in the eye. She let out a curse and doubled over in pain.

"Miguel, what are you doing here? You should be heading to school with Mrs. Lestrat and Clara." Rébecca hissed softly as she stood up, giving her brother a small glare.

"I forgot my teddy." The little boy pointed to the teddy bear on the counter next to the sink. Rébecca sighed and smiled as she handed her brother the bear and hugged him tight.

"Stay safe today, okay? I will see you when I get home." Rébecca kissed her brother's forehead, then grinned as she watched him scamper off to join his classmate and her mother for their walk to school.

Rébecca grabbed her purse and made her way to follow suit, but paused just outside her father's office door. She pressed her lips into a thin line as she listened to the relentless tapping of the keyboard that seemed to go on every hour of the day. After her mother had died a few years ago, her father had shut himself in his office and refused to come out, stating that he was working on his magnum opus. That left Rébecca to raise Miguel, to make sure that they were all fed.

So when Lila had appeared and offered her fame and fortune, she had grabbed at it hard. Screw her father, she was going to get the money herself, and make sure Miguel kept a roof over his head, one way or another.

She made her way down to the street, where she found Adrien waiting next to his limo. Rébecca immediately turned on her persona of the lovestruck girl and threw herself into his arms, giving the model a passionate kiss.

She would thrive, and no one was going to stop her.

…

"You look beautiful today." Adrien kissed Rébecca's cheek as the limo made its way to Lila's place. "You don't think the limo is too much, is it?"

"Not at all, kitty. It's just perfect." Rébecca purred, kissing him once again, though spotted Plagg seated by the car window. His green eyes glared at her, but his mouth was gone, so he couldn't make a noise. Adrien had recently found out about that handy little command when he and Plagg had gotten into a huge fight about Rébecca. The Kwami had insisted that the girl wasn't Ladybug, but Adrien had refused to listen, so dead set on that girl being the 'love of his life'. Now the relationship between Kwami and hero was extremely tense.

"I got you something, my lady." Adrien grinned as he pulled out a small box. Rébecca happily took it and opened it to find a gold bracelet inlaid with rubies inside. She gasped with delight and pulled the model into a passionate kiss. 

When Lila opened the car door, she was greeted with the couple making out, causing her to grimace slightly. It was neverending with those two.. Lila was actually glad she wasn't dating Adrien now, if he was as clingy as he was with Rébecca.

"How's my favourite superhero couple?" Lila teased as she climbed into the car, a perfect mask of jovial happiness on her face, taking a seat beside Rébecca.

"Perfect, as always." 'Ladybug' winked, holding on tight to Adrien's arm. Lila's eyes locked on the sight of all of the expensive jewelry that Rébecca wore. Her eyes narrowed a fraction as jealousy roiled in her gut.

…

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up when Luka took her hand, as they made their way towards her school. His hand was so large, neatly enveloping her own, and so warm.. She could feel the callouses on his hands, of years of hard work he had done. She couldn't help but think of how different they were to Adrien's hands, whose hands were soft and perfect. Luka's hand felt.. It felt right. Though the weather was getting colder, maybe she should make him some gloves, maybe a nice blue colour, she'd have to make them nice and soft too..

"What are you thinking about?" Luka's voice snapped her out of her musings and she felt the heat in her cheeks worsen. 

"Just about how cold it's been getting. Autumn will be here soon." She gave him a small smile, giving his hand a light squeeze. Her smile only grew when she heard him chuckle.

"I suppose you're right. Do you think you'll make those pumpkin cookies again this year?" Luka grinned down at her, and both of them shared a chuckle.

"I definitely will. Maybe I'll whip some up tonight, maybe I can put pumpkin seeds in them too." She mused, giggling at the massive grin he was sporting, before they settled into a comfortable silence, making their way towards Marinette's school.

Her mind drifted to a conversation she had with her moment some time ago, when she had been discussing love with her mother.

"Love can be exciting at first. It can be a thrill, that person can make your heart race and cause you to be tongue tied, but eventually you grow comfortable around them. They become a piece of your life that fits right in." Her mother had said, a wistful smile on her face as she remembered old times. "That's how it is with your father. He does still make my heart race from time to time, but honestly, we're familiar with each other now. We're a unit and we love each other more than anything. We're comfortable, he's the man I know that can keep me calm, who I can talk to, who will always support me and I'll always support him. We put each other first. I know you'll find love like that someday, Marinette."

Marinette could see now what her mother meant. Luka was comfortable, he was the one that made her all warm and fuzzy inside without her wanting to barf, like she'd always felt with Adrien.

While she'd had planned this big extravagant life with Adrien, she could see now.. She had made it too big. She wouldn't be comfortable with it, any of what she had planned. But with Luka.. She could.

"What are you thinking about?" Luka paused, just a few feet away from the school. His eyes then widened as he felt Marinette kiss his cheek.

"Just how you make me feel… Comfortable."

Both wearing silly wide grins, they made their way towards the school.

…

As they began to ascend the front steps of the school, Rébecca felt a firm tug on her arm. She glanced back to see Lila gripping her arm tightly, the look on her face saying that they needed to talk.

She gave Adrien a little excuse of 'girl talk' and headed down the steps with Lila and a bit down the sidewalk.

"Give me your jewelry. I want to wear it today." Lila stated, holding out a hand, as if expecting Rébecca to immediately hand it over.

"Are you insane? Adrien gave these to me, get your own." Rébecca snapped, her hand protectively going to the ruby necklace that dangled at her throat.

"Oh please, we both know that Adrien wouldn't even look your way if he didn't think you were Ladybug. So hand them over, he can always buy you more." Lila scoffed.

Rébecca was about to snap at Lila, to tear into the girl and say that Lila needed  _ her _ to continue up this entire charade. But the words died on her lips when she noticed that Marinette girl had stopped just a few feet from them and was now partially hiding behind a trash can. Rébecca then put on a pitiful look, holding her arm that wore her new bracelet close to her chest.

"No, Lila, Adrien gave this to me. It.. It's really special." Rébecca made her voice shudder ever so slightly as she spoke.

"Oh don't be stupid! You and I both know that Adrien's a means to an end, you don't actually care about him!" Lila shot out her hand and fiercely grabbed the other girl's wrist, dragging it away from her body. "Now give me the jewelry, or I'll tell everyone that you've been lying."

"If you do that, you'll be exposing yourself too." Rébecca whimpered, doing a pathetic attempt at getting her arm free. 

"I can just act like the little victim. 'Oh, she tricked me into believing she was Ladybug too, I'm so sorry, I swear, I didn't meant to cause trouble..'" Lila rolled her eyes and snatched the bracelet from Rébecca's wrist. "I can destroy you. I could destroy your family too."

"F-fine, here.." Rébecca hurriedly took off all of her jewelry, then shoved it into Lila's hands. "I'll see you inside."

"Good, I'm glad you remember your place." Lila quickly pulled on the jewelry, then picked up her discarded bag and began strutting towards the school, eager to show off the fancy jewelry.

"I didn't even want to do this.." Rébecca forced herself to tear up and began sobbing into her hands.

"Hey.. Are you okay?" Marinette's soft voice reached her ears as she felt a hand settle on her shoulders.

Rébecca jolted her body, then gave the girl a wide-eyed, terrified look, before quickly dashing her tears, and gave her a watery smile.

"O-of course I am. I'm.. Ladybug." The last word dropped to a whisper as she placed a hand to her heart. "I'm just tired. I should get to class."

Marinette said nothing as Rébecca walked up the steps with a defeated slump to her shoulders, never seeing the smirk on her face.

…

When the girls entered the classroom, everyone was already gathered around Lila, as the girl showed off the stolen jewelry.

Adrien got up from his seat and went over to his girlfriend, giving her a kiss on the cheek as Marinette brushed past them, not sparing them a second glance.

"Why is Lila wearing the bracelet I gave you?" He whispered to her, as Rébecca returned the kiss.

"She just wanted to try it on. She'll give it back, I promise." She murmured against his lips, then took his hand and guided him towards their seats.

Marinette sighed softly as she scrolled through her phone, eyeing the selfies Alya had uploaded last night of her and 'Ladybug'. It made Marinette kind of glad that she had never told Alya that she was Ladybug, if she would have just taken the secret and shouted it to the world. She never did seem to care about her pleading her anonymity, always wanting to be the one who got the big scoop on Ladybug… Marinette closed her eyes and let out a long sigh of annoyance. 

She honestly wished she could just show up as Ladybug and debunk all of this stuff, but she couldn't abuse her powers like that. But if an akuma were to suddenly show up around the school, she'd probably drop by. But only if fate decided it, she wouldn't go out of her way to make it happen. She wasn't Chloé. 

"Do you think you could do another interview for me this week? Maybe tomorrow night, we could film an entire interview, with you transformed and everything!" Alya grinned as she leaned closer to Rébecca, hands held together in a gesture of a plea.

"But, Al, don't we have a date tomorrow night…?" Nino rose a brow at his girlfriend, but Alya just waved her hand towards him, dismissing his words.

"Nino, this is an interview with Ladybug we're talking about. I need to prioritize the more important things right now, my viewers are begging for more content."

Nino opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly snapped it shut, feeling rather flabbergasted.

"Now, how about that interview?" Alya turned towards Rébecca once more, taking the girl's hand.

Rébecca had to bite back an annoyed sigh. It was going to be a long day.

Marinette glanced down at her phone, smiling when she saw Luka was texting her again, asking if they could hang out after school. He really was an amazing guy… Far too amazing for someone like her, but she knew that when she finally allowed herself to open up her heart again, he'd be the first to know. Maybe she should design him a scarf, the weather was getting chilly, and she didn't want him to catch a cold. 

Marinette spent the rest of the day doodling designs for a scarf and a hat for Luka, while half listening to any of her teachers as they droned on through their lessons. And before she knew it, the end of the day was there, and all of the students began rushing out of the school. She watched as the entire class and many other students crowded around Rébecca and Lila as they made their way down the front steps. It almost made Marinette pity Rébecca, upon remembering the scene that morning. She really hadn't wanted any of this…

It was then that the ground began to violently shake. There were screams and cries of alarm.

"Ladybug!" A shout thundered through the area as an akuma appeared on the street in front of the school, her hair a wild mess, as if she had torn at it violently, and she appeared as if she were made of stone, large rivers of tears flowing from her eyes. "I am Niobe! Give me your Miraculous, and Chat Noir's as well, or you shall face the consequences!" The akuma snapped, holding out a hand, her other tug behind her.

"No, I won't!" Rébecca snapped, panic beginning to pump through her veins at the sight of the akuma. This was it, the jig was up, but perhaps if she could sneak away, and hide until Ladybug got there…

"Is that so? Then I suppose that he will have to be turned to stone." Niobe pulled her arm from behind her back and Miguel stumbled into view, his little face stained with tears. The sight made Rébecca's heart just into her throat.

" _ Miguel! _ "

…

Marinette cursed softly under her breath as she slid into a closet, and let Tikki out of her purse. They had heard an explosion and the only assumption they could come to was an akuma.

"Okay, I was kind of kidding about an akuma attacking the school." Marinette sighed, then smiled to Tikki. "Let's just get this over with. Spots on!"

It wasn't long before Ladybug was at the front steps of the school, greeted with an odd sight. Rébecca screaming in terror as who Ladybug assumed was the akuma held a small boy in her grasp.

"Last chance, Ladybug, give me your Miraculous, or the boy gets it!" Niobe snarled.

"Adrien, please, save him!" Rébecca reached out and grasped Adrien's arm in a vice grip. "Please, you need to save him before she hurts him!"

Adrien didn't think through his next actions, his only thoughts on saving the day and being seen as the hero in the eyes of his beloved Ladybug.

"Plagg, claws out!" Almost the entire student body watched as the most famous model in Paris transformed into one of their beloved superheroes. Chat Noir then pounced towards Niobe, staff poised to strike.

"Chat Noir! So good of you to show your face, it saves me from having to hunt you down!" Niobe shot out a hand, and Chat found himself blasted backwards with the salty water of the akuma's neverending tears.

Rébecca pressed her hands to her mouth to keep from screaming as her brother was drenched by the tears and began shivering. She was about to run forward, but was cut off by Alya stepping in front of her, phone held up and a huge grin on her face.

"That's right, everyone, today we finally get to see the amazing Ladybug transform! Ladybug, what are the words you have to say, to transform? Think you can give us a good show?" Alya bounced on her toes, ignoring the scene behind her of Chat rushing in blindly to try and tackle Niobe, only to be knocked back.

"That's it, Ladybug! Since you refuse to hand over your Miraculous, I think your brother shall make a lovely statue!" Niobe grinned as her palm began to glow a sickly looking green and made a move to touch Miguel. But a familiar looking yoyo shot out, wrapping around the akuma's wrist to stop the movement.

"I'd have to say, Hawkmoth seems to be really stooping to get these new akumas lately." Ladybug rolled her eyes, before tugging Niobe closer, eyes scanning over the akuma. "And threatening a child.. I'll have to say, that's pretty pathetic. Don't like kids?"

"Shut up!" Niobe lashed out a hand, hitting Ladybug right in the face with the water, causing the heroine to stumble back a few steps, her yo yo quickly releasing her.

"Wait, no, Ladybug…?" Chat stood off to the side, drenched head to toe, and staring at Ladybug as if she were something he just couldn't quite process. His gaze then slid over to where Rébecca stood, her eyes trained on her brother. "But isn't Rébecca…?"

"Chat, help me!" Ladybug snapped at him before she launched herself back into action. "What's her akumatized object?!"

"I- I don't know!" He stammered out as he began to run towards the akuma, extending his staff, his mind still reeling. Rébecca wasn't Ladybug, she'd been lying to him this whole time…

Ladybug groaned softly in frustration when Chat was once again knocked backwards, his mind not seeming quite in the game. This was definitely going to be a long battle.

…

"Bye bye, little butterfly." Ladybug smiled as she watched the little butterfly flutter away, then promptly tossed her yoyo in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Once all of the damage was fixed, Ladybug sighed and scanned her surroundings. She saw the woman who had been akumatized on her hands and knees, sobbing, before a man burst from the gathering crowd, calling her name and rushing to her, gathering her in her arms.

"Ladybug! Hey, over here!" Alya burst out, phone in her free hand, her other arm supporting Chat, with Lila standing just beside her, glaring over at where Rébecca knelt beside her brother. With the sudden sound of high pitched beeping, Chat detransformed, Adrien staring at Ladybug, the expression in his eyes unreadable.

Ladybug said nothing for the longest time, her cold blue eyes staring the three of them down, her expression hard, unforgiving. Everyone around them, even the news crew, could see the barely contained rage the hero had towards the trio.

"Ladybug, I…" Adrien began, reaching out towards her, but the words died on his lips once she abruptly turned her back to him.

"Plagg." Was the only word that left Ladybug's lips. There was a sudden blur of black, and soon the small cat Kwami appeared next to her, the Black Cat Miraculous clutched between his tiny paws. At the sight, Adrien's eyes widened in alarm.

"No, you can't take it, it's mine, I'm the-" Adrien began to yell, taking a step forward.

"I am the Guardian of the Miraculous, Adrien, I can do as I wish." Ladybug's voice was harsh, refusing to look back at him as she then strode away, towards Rébecca, where she knelt on the pavement, clutching her little brother and sobbing, saying her apologies. " Hello, Rébecca."

"Ladybug! I- I'm sorry! I didn't want to, I swear!" Rébecca got to her feet, frantically wiping the tears from her eyes, looking completely shaken. "I- if I had known that Miguel would get hurt, I would never have…"

"Rébecca, it's okay. I know what happened." Ladybug smiled and set a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder, then used the other to gently ruffle Miguel's hair. "I know you were forced into it."

"Ladybug, what are you talking about? She told everyone she was you, everyone believed her!" Alya blurted out as she rushed over to them, holding up her phone, most likely recording the situation. "Aren't you going to have her serve justice?"

"And who was responsible for that information being accepted as fact, Miss Césaire? Who was the one that posted the interview, that kept insisting that she was Ladybug?" Ladybug grit out between clenched teeth. "I highly suggest you keep your mouth shut for now."

Alya blinked owlishly, then turned her hard gaze to Rébecca, advancing towards her, Lila and a few other students joining them.

"I- I can't believe you lied to me, Rébecca. Here I was, all excited that Ladybug finally revealed her identity to me.." Lila let out a pathetic sob, clinging to Alya's arm.

The students began to shout and advance towards Rébecca, who hugged her brother in a protective manner.

"That is enough! Miss Rossi, I will not let you start a witch hunt for something you concocted!" Ladybug stepped in front of Rébecca, poking Lila hard in the chest. "I saw you both this morning, threatening Rébecca for her jewelry. I was just going to let this run its course, but your actions have gone too far! You are not my friend, you never have been, never will be! You will not bully Rébecca anymore, you will not blackmail her!"

Everyone blinked, then stared at Lila, noting the nice clothes and jewelry she wore. That was when chaos erupted. 

Lila held her hands up, trying her best to back away as fury built up in her chest at the sight of the glee in Rébecca's eyes. She heard a faint fluttering of wings over the roar of the crowd and her eyes lifted, landing on a new akuma that had yet to be seen by the crowd and even Ladybug herself.

In a flash, she rushed towards the akuma, hand outstretched. But she found herself tackled to the ground and pinned, Rébecca leaning close and growling softly into her ear.

“You’re not gaining the upperhand so easily, you bitch…” She hissed, before sitting up abruptly, tearing up as Ladybug caught the new akuma. Rébecca raised her voice as she spoke the next words. “W-why would you try to akumatize yourself, Lila?! That could put everyone in danger!”

Ladybug abruptly grabbed Rébecca's wrist, dragging her and Miguel over to where the weeping woman and the man waited.

The older couple stared at the two kids, before the woman knelt before Miguel and hugged him tight.

"I am so sorry! I swear, I would never have done that, Hawkmoth, he.." The woman sat back and sniffled, glancing up at Ladybug. "I'm sorry, it's just.. Pierre and I have been trying for kids for years, and today my.. My sister had a baby on her first try and I let Hawkmoth.." 

The older man, Pierre, knelt down and hugged his wife tightly as she became a mess of tears. The sight tugged at Ladybug's heart, and she knelt down with the pair.

"Hawkmoth is good at manipulating people, and I realize that having hope for all of those years, and eventually losing it, will take its toll. But you didn't hurt Miguel, and in a way, you helped me realize I need a new partner." Ladybug's voice was warm, so soothing that it caused the woman to smile back, though it was shaky. 

"L-Ladybug, we should probably get home." Rébecca held her brother close, patting his head in a loving manner as he hugged her leg. "Our father must be worried, and.. The crowd is getting rather rowdy."

Ladybug glanced over and saw the surging crowd around Lila, Alya, and Adrien.

"Let us take you home." Pierre spoke up, setting a gentle hand on Rébecca's shoulder. "It's the least we can do, due to everything that happened."

"I'll keep the crowd at bay, go ahead." Ladybug nodded and turned back towards the crowd, striding towards them.

Rébecca hesitated, before reaching out and taking Pierre's offered hand.

…

When they got back to Rébecca's apartment, she noticed something unusual. Her father's office door was wide open. When she peeked inside, she saw he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Where's papa?" Miguel piped up as he, Pierre and the woman, who Rébecca learned later on is named Michelle, stepped into the office doorway as Rébecca entered.

She wrinkled her nose as her feet hit scattered empty beer cans and smelled the musty scent of a room that hadn't been cleaned in a while.

"This is where my father spends all of his time." Rébecca explained to the older couple as soon as she saw their concerned looks. "My father is working on this brilliant script for a movie with a company he works with, he told me it's going to be his magnum opus. Here, let me show it to you."

Pierre and Michelle watched as the girl logged into the computer and began searching through it. They saw her shoulders slump suddenly as she began opening files and programs, most of which were gaming programs, and sites that made Michelle cover Miguel's eyes to keep him from seeing.

"I- I don't understand.." Rébecca whispered before turning towards the trio in the doorway, trembling now. "I- I can't find anything."

The sound of the front door opening had Rébecca on her feet and brushing past her brother and the older couple. Her dark eyes blazed as she saw her father at the front door, carrying a paper bag, a six pack of beer peeking out from the top. When he raised his gaze and saw his daughter standing just outside of his open office door, he dropped the bag, beer cans and a few bags of chips scattering across the floor.

"You bastard…" Rébecca hissed softly, stomping towards him, her body trembling with fury. Her father quickly scrambled back, only for his back to meet the front door. "You selfish bastard!"

"Rébecca, I can explain…" Her father sputtered out, but his daughter quickly cut off any excuses he could muster.

"Two years… Two years, you were locked up in your damned office, two years I looked after Miguel, I cooked, I cleaned, I got groceries with whatever money you'd give me, two years, while I thought you were working, you were actually just playing video games and watching porn, talking to women over the internet?!"

It was then Rébecca burst into tears, Michelle rushing forward to hold her close and to comfort, all the while her father watched helplessly.

"Shhh, sweetie, it's okay. Everything will be okay." Michelle cooed softly to the weeping girl, who seemed so distraught, so thoroughly finished. None of them saw her crack a smile.

…

Marinette sighed as she stared down at the ring that felt heavy in her palm. The Black Cat Miraculous would need to have a new user if she was to continue being Ladybug. 

"Are you angry with me?" Marinette raised her eyes to meet Plagg’s gaze, then Tikki’s, only to have them both give a solemn shake of their head.

“I should have realized a long time ago that Adrien.. That he wasn’t quite the person to handle the responsibilities of the Black Cat. It’s my fault, really. I didn’t take my job seriously and let the kid do whatever he wanted.” Plagg grasped his cheese in his small paws, his gaze lowered and his ears pinned back. “I should have been more firm with him. Thanks to me, you’ll have to find yourself a new partner.”

  
Marinette was quiet as she kept turning the ring over in her hand. She felt the tension forming in her neck as her mind went over the endless possibilities of who it could be. It had to be someone that she trusted, someone that she could always count on, that could always keep a levelhead and do the right thing… Instantly a pair of blue eyes filled her mind and she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. She knew then and there who was going to be her next Black Cat.

Luka glanced up when he heard knocking from the porthole that was his window. When he opened it, he was greeted with the smiling face of Ladybug, who seemed to have a rather bashful sort of smile.

“Good evening, Luka. I’m sorry to bother you at home, but can I come in please? I have something that I’d like to discuss with you." Ladybug barely managed to fit in through the porthole, thankful for her slim frame, though her hips had gotten caught and had required Luka to give her a tug to help her through.

"Of course, what can I do for you, Ladybug?" Luka couldn't help but smile as he watched Ladybug fidget, before suddenly holding out a small Miraculous box to him.

"Luka Couffaine, this is the Miraculous of the Black Cat. I entrust you with it, to become the hero that Paris needs, that Chat Noir failed to be." Ladybug audibly swallowed as he took the box, her hand visibly shaking as she let it relax at her side once more. She watched in silence as he opened the box and Plagg came forth.

"Hey there." Luka gave the sullen Kwaki a warm smile. When Plagg didn't respond, his smile dimmed, but stayed in place. "Hey, listen.. I know that this is obviously an unwanted change, but I'm looking forward to working with you. I would like us to get along."

"I wouldn't say it's unwanted, kid. It's more that I'm disappointed in myself from preventing the change to begin with." Plagg kept his gaze lowered as he sighed. "I was stupid."

"Hey, don't get too hung up on it, we all make mistakes. Besides, we learn, right?" Luka scratched Plagg between the ears, smiling when he heard the Kwami purr. "And if I start acting like your previous holder, I give you full permission to try and destroy me."

That caused a surprised squeal to leave Ladybug and for Plagg to laugh out loud.

"I think I'm gonna like you, kid."

"I'm definitely going to enjoy working with you and Marinette." Luka smiled back, letting out a soft chuckle.

A squeak left Ladybug's lips as she stared atLuka, frozen in place, before she began rapidly stammering, trying to get some sort of coherent sentence out.

"Ma-Ma-Marinette?! No- I- Um, wait- I-I.." She tugged nervously on one of her pigtails, her cheeks becoming even redder as Luka took her free hand into his own.

"Marinette, you really think I couldn’t recognize you? Your song is still as clear as day.” He gave her hand a little squeeze, giving her a reassuring smile. “And I’m absolutely honoured that you chose me of all people to be your partner. I promise, no, I swear on my life that I won’t be like Chat Noir, I’ve seen how he’s acted in the past. I’ll be a partner and help you carry that weight, you won’t have to carry that burden alone anymore.”

He opened his mouth to say more, but any words died on his lips when he heard a sniffle. Ladybug quickly dashed the tears flowing from her eyes with a shaky hand, before a soft sob left her.

“Th-that’s all I ever wanted..” She whispered, her arms wrapping around him as she buried her face into his chest. Luka stared down at her, before embracing her back and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “Thank you, Luka..”

“Anything for you, Marinette..”

…

School the following day was a headache for Marinette. As soon as she stepped into the school courtyard, she could see the shift in atmosphere had changed. Her class seemed separated from the rest of the school, the other students whispering amongst themselves. She shook her head in disgust and made her way towards the classroom, not reacting when she saw someone else seated in Miss Bustier’s seat. 

She took her seat, ahead of everyone else for once in her life. She kept her face impassive as each of her classmates filed into the classroom. Every time they glanced up at her, they looked away in shame, Rose being the one who appeared to be close to tears. But Marinette refused to budge. Once, she would have instantly forgiven them, but now she realized she was allowed to have feelings, she was allowed to be angry, to feel hurt, she shouldn’t have to shove it all down and put on a happy face to please everyone else.

She’d forgive them eventually, of course, they hadn’t done anything overly horrible such as bully her or ostracized her, they just refused to believe her when she told them that Lila and Rébecca were liars. Not anything worth a blaze in the fire of revenge, but definitely worth a few angry feelings.

But the two exceptions soon walked in through the classroom door, their heads low and refusing to meet the gaze of anyone in the room.

Alya took her seat, her eyes red rimmed and her head bowed low as she heard the whispers of her fellow classmates. Marinette felt her heart harden at the sight, having seen that the Ladyblog had disappeared overnight. 

“I heard her parents took a hammer to her phone and computer after they received the lawsuits from all of those businesses that fell for the fake Ladybug story.” Mylène leaned close and whispered to Ivan, though loud enough that Alya hunched her shoulders more.

“Adrien, is it true that you were Chat Noir?” Alix spoke up, resting her chin on her upturned palm as she watched the boy take his seat, his own eyes rimmed red and dark shadows under them. It was clear to everyone that he hadn’t slept the entire night. “I missed that fight yesterday, but I heard some rumours.”

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in his hands.

“I can’t believe Ladybug took my ring away. I didn’t even do anything..” He whimpered, and Nino reached out, gently patting him on the back.

“You revealed yourself to the world, Adrien.” Marinette’s icy voice caused everyone to turn towards her, watching as she got to her feet, crossing her arms. “You believed a random stranger, without any proof, that she was Ladybug, even when you knew she was with Lila, who is a known liar. And look how that almost ended up, Lila turned out to be in league with Hawkmoth!”

“Marinette, it’s not my fault! She tricked me, and now my father is furious, especially with the jewelry I bought Rébecca!” Adrien shouted out, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Adrien, you’re not an idiot! You and I both knew that she was a liar! You knew she was lying to our friends, so you should have known! It’s not rocket science that anyone connected to Lila was most likely lying because she wanted attention!” Marinette threw her hands up in the air, fighting back the urge to throttle him. 

“Wait, you knew?! You knew this entire time and you let me ruin my blog! You let them manipulate me into ruining my credibility!” Alya snarled and made an advance on Adrien, but Nino shot out a hand to hold her back.

“You did that to yourself..” Alix muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. Thus the match was struck and thrown into the fire. Tempers flared and shouting matches began. Marinette took a deep breath and took a seat, watching it all unfold. She hadn’t wanted this, she hadn’t wanted any of this. But they had done this to themselves. She decided right then and there to wash her hands of this drama. It wasn’t worth it.

By the end of the day, Alya and Alix had been sent to the principal’s office due to the eventual fight they had. Marinette sighed to herself as she left the school, still hearing the whispers as she descended the stairs. She could tell already that this wouldn’t die down for a while.

She slid her notebook out of her purse, making sure to give Tikki a little pat as she did, before she began doodling ideas for Luka’s gloves on the way back to her place. Maybe something to compliment his hair.. But then again, there was nothing to assure her that he’d keep his hair that colour forever…

“Marinette..?”

Marinette glanced up and froze in her tracks when she saw Rébecca standing a few feet in front of her, her gaze lowered to the ground and gripping her bag so tightly that her knuckles were white. 

“Oh.. Hello, Rébecca. I didn’t see you at school today.” She kept her voice even as she watched the other girl, who kept shifting from foot to foot and glance around as if she wanted to run.

‘I-I am going to switch schools. Because of the whole Ladybug incident, you know? Listen, I want to apologize.” Rébecca’s voice came out soft, almost in a whisper.

“What for?” Marinette rose a brow as she regarded her carefully. 

“For everything!” The other girl blurted out, before she burst into tears, burying her face into her hands. “I-I was so mean to you! I used people, I tricked people! I-I didn’t want to, but Lila threatened to ruin my father’s career, she knew Gabriel Agreste personally and he knew Mrs. Amelie Graham de Vanily and my father works for her company, and-and I needed to take care of my brother because the money was running out..”

Marinette watched as she cried hard. Every part of her wanted to call her out for her lies, for lying right now, for trying to take a shortcut from her punishment. But something stopped her. The memory of yesterday morning, of Lila’s threats and obvious control over Rébecca, of the fear and pain in Rébecca’s voice. 

There had been no audience, there had been no need to act that way.. It had been genuine.

“... I won’t say I forgive you just yet, but I won’t throw you to the wolves. Actually, I’m headed home right now, would you like to join my family and I for dinner? You could bring your brother too.” Marinette offered a smile and held out a hand.

Rébecca sniffled and turned the smile with a weak one of her own, setting her hand in hers, and the two walked off towards the bakery.

…

Lila glared as she watched as the footage of Ladybug came onto the screen, the spotted hero fighting an akuma alongside her new partners; Catastrophe and Miss Kit. She held back a scream and glared down at her tray. Prison food was absolutely disgusting, she didn’t know how anyone could even survive here. After a week of being in here, she was ready to stab someone for a decent steak.

“Rossi, you have a visitor.” A guard approached her table, though it wasn’t hard to single the girl out, as she was all alone. None of the other kids here even glanced her way. Sure, they may have all done some messed up things, but to work with Hawkmoth.. That marked her as someone who could never be associated with.

Lila said nothing as she followed the guard to the visitation area, though she did almost freeze in the doorway as she saw Rébecca seated there, waiting for her.

“You have thirty minutes.” The guard said before making Lila sit, fastening her handcuffs to the table. “Or buzz whenever you’re done.”

“Thank you.” Rébecca gave the guard a bright smile, who nodded in return and turned on his heel and left. Her gaze soon settled on Lila. “Hello Lila. I must say, you do look fabulous in orange.”

“What do you want, your life as an ostracized fibber not all that it’s cracked up to be?” Lila sneered at the girl, but the sneer disappeared when Rébecca merely smiled pleasantly. 

“Why, what on earth are you talking about, Lila? My life has been absolutely superb. And it’s all thanks to you.” Rébecca hummed, before leaning forward, resting her chin in her hands. “I mean, you did cause everything to go perfectly for me.”

“What are you talking about? You’re known as a liar, you impersonated Ladybug, you committed fraud with several businesses, you should be in here with me!” Lila snapped.

“Actually, I’m known as a poor victim.” Rébecca pressed a hand on her chest and let out a sorrowful tone. “The poor girl who was blackmailed by the girl who was working with Hawkmoth, who was forced to cause so much chaos to protect her little brother and a father who went into a downward spiral after the premature death of her mother.”

Lila stared, her hands slowly curling into fists, her teeth grinding together.

“And thanks to you, I have everything now. You know that akuma that helped expose us? Well, Pierre and Michelle decided, after my father turned out to be a useless bun, to adopt my brother and I. You're looking at the heiress to the Pelletier empire." Rébecca let out a giggle.

Lila kept staring.

_ What? _

"That's.. They're more rich than the Agrestes…" Lila whispered.

"Exactly. I'm meeting all sorts of fabulous celebrities and people of high standing, alongside my best friend Marinette." Rébecca's smile only widened as she noticed Lila beginning to tremble. "I also met Félix Graham de Vanily.. He was actually quite charming, despite what everyone says. He's much smarter than Adrien, a bit of a trickster, actually. I helped him find out that Gabriel had the other of his family's special rings. Made us think, because apparently he had said it had disappeared with his missing wife. You also are closely connected to a possible wife murderer.."

"This isn't possible.. They can't believe you over me, they can't actually believe you're good, you took all of those clothes, all of that jewelry, everything those stores offered, you took!" Lila snarled, leaning closer now.

"Oh yes, it was so nice of you to hold every single one of those items in your room, Lila, it's so interesting that everything was in your size, and you were seen wearing all of that jewelry, even in press photos.." Rébecca tapped her lower lip, as if deep in thought, but the smile still remained. "Though, if I had never asked you to take them all, they would have still been in my house. And Marinette saw you shouting at me the day we were caught too, saw how you took my stuff.."

Lila began to tremble more, her snarls beginning to sound more feral.  _ How dare she… _ She works with Marinette of all people?! That goody two shoes who couldn't seem to do anything wrong, who never seemed to just stay down no matter how many times Lila tried to break her.

"You bitch.. You're setting me up?!" Lila shot to her feet, though any further motion was stopped by her cuffed wrists. "You won't get away with this! You're lying! You'll get caught eventually!"

"That's the thing, Lila, I don't really need to lie anymore. I live with my brother in an extremely lavish lifestyle. I am currently the romantic interest of a handsome boy of a rich, influential family, who is just as clever as I am, and I did the one thing you could never do. I made friends with both Marinette and Ladybug." Rébecca pulled out her cell phone and revealed two selfies, one of her and that little Maribrat, and the other of her and the hero that Lila always prayed would have her neck snapped by the latest akuma. "All thanks to you, Lila."

"No… No, that's all supposed to be mine! I'm supposed to be famous, I'm supposed to be the victim here! You're pretty much confessing everything right now, the guards can hear you, you aren't going to win this!" Lila yanked furiously at her cuffs, trying in vain to reach for Rébecca.

Rébecca merely gave Lila a pitying smile and stood, shaking her head.

"You can make anyone leave their station for a few minutes with the right amount of money. Anywho, I must be off, Marinette and I are going on a double date with our boys to Jagged Stone's newest concert.” She bowed in a mocking manner to Lila, and something glinting caught Lila’s eye.

Dangling from Rébecca’s neck was a necklace, the pendant in the shape of a curled fox tail. Lila felt her brain freeze as she thought back to the footage of Miss Kit, of the similar body build, the same coloured eyes that glinted with a haughtiness that Rébecca’s held now.

“No..”

“Farewell, Lila. I do wish you luck with all of the lawsuits against you, I don’t believe you’ll be seeing the light of day for a very long time.” Rébecca let out a laugh and turned on her heel, heading towards the door.

“You bitch! I’ll kill you, I’ll bury you, I’ll destroy you!” Lila screeched, trying in vain to launch herself at the other girl. Her outraged screams brought a fw guards, who quickly restrained her and began dragging her back to her cell, her screams echoing through the halls.

With a self satisfied smile, Rébecca left the prison, humming softly to herself as she stepped into the bright sunlight, quickly being greeted by a small orange figure.

“Do you feel better after facing her?” Trixx beamed as he landed in his Chosen’s held out hand.

“Muh better. You’re right, Trixx, confronting her with all of that blackmail really did help. You’re the best Kwami ever.” Rébecca planted a soft kiss on his soft head and made her way towards the waiting limo, a slight spring in her step. Her life was now perfect, and it was, indeed, all thanks to Lila Rossi.

…

Ladybug landed on the rooftop with a soft thud, shooting a grin over at where Catastrophe was waiting, leaving against the chimney. 

“It seems I won the race, hm?” He teased as he watched his partner stride up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I get my prize, right?”

“But of course, I must say, you’re quite getting the hang of that staff.” Ladybug giggled when he nuzzled her cheek, her nuzzling him in return. “We're still on for dinner later?”

“My mother is making her favourite seafood pasta dish, I hope you’re ready for a lot of garlic.” He rested his forehead against her, both sporting wide grins as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I love garlic, as long as you don’t mind garlic breath from me.” She teased back, leaning closer, their lips barely brushing.

“Of course I don’t mind..” Catastrophe gripped her waist and pulled her a bit closer.

“Excuse me, lovebirds, are we heading over to the Agreste mansion or what?” Miss Kit’s voice broke the two of them apart, causing some laughter from the fox heroine. “Listen, you two can have a full on make out session after we kick Hawkmoth’s butt, okay?”

“You always have to ruin the mood, don’t you?” Ladybug went over and gave her a playful shove, but Miss Kit let out a giggle and danced out of her reach. “Run, foxy, we’ll join you at the Eiffel Tower.”

Kit stuck out her tongue and flew off in a burst of orange smoke.

Ladybug let out a soft chuckle and grabbed her yo-yo, prepping to follow, but was stopped by Catastrophe gently grabbing her by the wrist.

“Hey.” He pulled her back slightly, when she looked back at him, he planted a soft kiss on her lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She returned the kiss, gripping his hand in her own. “Now, let’s go take care of that butterfly…”

Sharing a smile, the two of them took off into the Paris night.


End file.
